Humidification systems: natural or electronic

We help you choose a humidification system for your humidor

When buying a humidor, doubts may arise as to which humidification system to choose in order to create the right environment for the proper preservation of cigars. In particular, it is necessary to decide between natural humidification and electronic humidification. Both types allow cigars to be kept at the recommended humidity: between 65 and 72 percent, but with a slightly different operation.

The natural humidification that we use in Wacota Humidors can be:

• Boveda: these are sachets composed of a solution of salt, water and gel contained inside a membrane that is permeable to water vapour. They allow a certain level of relative humidity to be maintained by either releasing or absorbing water vapour and eliminating all possible fluctuations in humidity. There are different sizes of Boveda envelopes and with different humidity % depending on the needs.
• Petacas: these are small metal boxes or containers with sponges inside that are generally attached with magnets to the lids of small humidors to store a few cigars. They are very easy to use because they are simply placed under the tap to moisten them, then the excess water is shaken out and they are placed in their place in the humidor, where they release the humidity inside.
• Moistened sponges: they are used in small and large humidors, so they come in different sizes. Simply moisten the sponges with tap water, wring them out so that they do not drip water and place them on their trays inside the humidor.

In the case of opting for a natural humidification system, it is essential to check periodically that the sponges are still moistened, that is, that they have not lost most or all of their water, or if the Boveda envelope has dried out and needs to be replaced. In this way, we ensure that the humidity levels are still good and that the cigars do not lose their quality.

Electronic humidification: to maintain humidity levels very precisely

On the other hand, there is the option of electronic humidification, which is somewhat more sophisticated, but need not be more complex. It consists of installing electronic humidification devices in the humidors. The ones we use at Humidores Wacota, which we manufacture ourselves, have a probe that reads the humidity, so we know with greater precision if the conditions are suitable.

In addition, humidification systems, such as our HR6, have a hygrostat in which you set the humidity level you wish to maintain in the humidor (advisable around 70%). In this way, the device itself generates the humidity by means of a nebulizer and a fan that spreads it. When the set threshold is reached, the nebuliser stops, but is activated again if a drop in humidity is detected.

When choosing between these humidification systems for the humidor, there are two main issues to consider:

• The size of the humidor: obviously, the larger the humidor, the more powerful the humidification system has to be to distribute the humidity throughout the humidor. Therefore, in smaller humidors, any natural humidification system will suffice, while for larger humidors or walk-in humidor, an electronic system that manages humidity levels more precisely and ensures that humidity reaches every corner of the humidor would be more advisable.
• The climate: the temperature and humidity of the environment must also be taken into account, because it is not the same to have a humidor in a beachside location as in a cold inland city. So, if you live near the beach, where there is a lot of humidity, a natural humidity system may be sufficient even for large humidors.

We invite you to discover our collection of cigar humidifiers.

Humidification system in Wacota humidors

Our humidors with electronic humidification system are designed with a double back wall that allows the humidity to circulate throughout the humidor and the humidity level to be homogeneous throughout the humidor. The HR6 humidifier is equipped with lighting to indicate that it is in operation and to warn in case it needs water, which must be distilled to prolong the life of the humidifier. In addition, the electronic humidification systems can have modern software systems that send messages to the mobile phone if the humidifier needs water or in the case of any incidence in the cigar humidor with respect to humidity.